Government has stated that the powers and responsibilities of the National Security Coordinator, remains the same and that the additional responsibility given to the Minister of Interior is a fulfillment of the Constitution and opportunity to open up the of National Security to Parliamentary oversight.
The Minister of Interior is thus given the additional responsibility of answering questions on behalf of the National Security after he has been given the green light by the National Security Council of which he is already a member.
President Mills in his quest to fill a constitutional vacuum wrote to Parliament in accordance with Section 17 of the Security and Intelligence Act, 1996, assigning the responsibility of answering questions on behalf of the intelligence agencies to the Minister of Interior, Martin Amidu.
Under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, Francis Poku, the National Security Coordinator was appointed Minister of National Security and thus had to answer questions bordering on National Security himself, albeit behind closed doors.
Section 17 of the Security and Intelligence Act, 1996 stipulates that “the President shall assign ministerial responsibility for the Intelligence Agencies to such Minister as the President shall consider appropriate”
Section 17 (2) states that the Minister assigned responsibility under subsection (1) of this section shall in respect of each year submit a report to Parliament on the intelligence agencies.
In the light of the above, the President has therefore appointed the Interior Minister, who is already a member of the National Security Council.
Under part four of the Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, which sets out the appointment of the National Security and its functions, the president is obliged under Section 18 (1) to appoint a National Security Coordinator upon the advice of the Security Council and in consultation with the Public Services Commission.
Section 19 lists the functions of the National Security Coordinator as follows:
a) Co-ordinate on a day-to day basis, the activities of the national, regional and district security councils and activities of the Intelligence Agencies.
b) Collate and evaluate intelligence reports relating to national security and ensure dissemination of the information within the Government as appropriate;
c) Determine in consultation with Directors of the Intelligence Agencies, the manpower level requirement of the intelligence agencies;
d) Assist the relevant Intelligence Agency to gather defence intelligence both internal and external, and use the information to detect and prevent threats to the security of the state;
e) Perform such other functions relating to the functions specified in this section as the President or the Council may direct.
Government explained that, the Interior Minister as per the new additional responsibility, takes full responsibility for the work of these intelligence agencies and defend their work when he appears before parliament to present their report, which is usually debated and approved by the Council of State.